IT professionals see gains in salary, feeling secure

Highest-paying provinces Yukon, N.W.T., Alberta: Survey

Canadian IT professionals have come through the most recent recession feeling secure in their roles, generally satisfied and not actively looking to jump ship, according to ComputerWorld Canada’s 2011 IT Salary and Skills Survey.

There were slight increases in overall total compensation, found the survey of more than 3,000 full-time technology workers (many highly experienced). This includes $123,800 for senior executives such as CIOs, compared to $117,985 last year; $88,000 for IT managers compared to $85,000 last year; and $70,000 for staff and technical positions compared to $67,000 in 2010.

Bonuses were also up slightly, with senior IT executives receiving an average of $20,000 and IT managers about $7,000.

When it came to the highest-paying provinces for IT, Yukon and the North West Territories scored tops with an average salary of $90,000, followed by Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia, which all had averages in the mid-$80,000s. Ontario-based IT professionals saw average salaries of $83,000 while Newfoundland and Labrador had an average salary of $84,000.

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of the respondents said they were either very satisfied or satisfied with their jobs, compared to 14 per cent who said they were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. Nearly 20 per cent were ambivalent, found the survey.

Although 46 per cent of the respondents said they would consider a move if the right opportunity came along, 40 per cent don’t consider themselves on the market at all.

There is next to no one (2.67 per cent) searching for a job outside of IT and 85 per cent of the IT professionals said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their decision to pursue a career in this profession, found ComputerWorld.







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